of chicago



Patented Sept. 6, 1932 o UNITED STATES- ED'WAItD E'. FABRICE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GUARDIAN SAFETY SEAL' 1. ..l"aN'rv OFFICE COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

BOTTLE sEALrNG car Application tiled January 24, 1931. ySerial No. 511,011.

This invention-relates to improvements in bottle sealing caps of the type having a skirt portion which is spun upon( and into annular formations on a bottle neck and includes an annular ribbon of metal, commonly known as a rip-strip, which is readily torn out of said skirt portion, thereby to sever the said skirt portion from the crown portion of the cap thus permitting the `bottle to be unsealed.

The invention is applicable to that type of said sealing caps which is used to cover the sealing cork inserted into'the bottle neck, as well as to that type of cap known as a screwcap which contains a disk ofcork or other sealing material which is compressed upon the mouth of the bottleneck to sealthe same,

this .latter type of cap being also frequently termed a re-sealing cap.l

The main objects of the present invention are: first, to provide in the ca a ripstrip or severable ribbon which terminates in a free tongue so shaped as to prevent the fingers of the hand grasping the same from coming into contact with and being cut` or torn by the sharp burrs along the edges of said tongue; second, to providea freel, tongue or digitally engageable end portion of the rip-strlp which is normally shaped so that its side edge portions stand sufficiently far out from the body of the cap to be primarily engaged by a finger-nail to bend it outwardly sufficiently to permit said free tongue to be engaged between finger tips preparatory to severing the ribbon from the cap; third, to so form the said free end or tongue portion as to enable the finger tips to obtain a very firm hold thereon and also to l renderthe same ornamental in appearance; fourth, to provide means associated with the free tongue portion of, the rip-strip which' will prevent said tongue from becoming accidentally distorted in the handling of4 the bottles equipped with said caps; and, fifth. to obviate the necessity of punching or cutting out small portions of the metal cap bordering the tongue in order to render the same digitally engageable without the preliminary use of a tool and thereby also preventing clogging of dies by said cut out metal.

Other objects and advantages of the invention are out.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating suitable embodiments of the invention Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle neck equipped with a cap constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the bottle neck` and cap on the-line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan. section of .the same on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a bottle neck equipped with thread formations and with a screw cap constructed in accordance with the invention.

hereinafter particularly pointed Figa 5 is a plan section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

' The cap 1 of Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is a substantially c lindrical. cup-like structure adapted to be fsposed upon the mouth portion of a bottle neck 2 which has been previously sealed by insert-ion of a cork or other seal 3, the lower end portion of the circumferential wall or skirt portion 4 of said cap 1 being suitablyspun into close or hugging contact with annular formations on the bottle neck 2, such as the bead 5 and groove 6 below the latter.

` The annular rip-strip or severable ribbon 7 of the cap 1 is integral with the skirt protion thereof and is bordered almost through- Out its length by a pair of parallel scormgs 8 whicheffect a thinning of the sheeet metal of the cap, 4thus very appreciably weakening the same. l y

Said severa-ble ribbon or rip-strip 7 terminates at one endA in a digitally engageable tongue element 9 which is completely severed from the body of the skirt portion by means of an incision 10 which'is in the form of a loop whose extremities are fiush with the scorings 8. In the instance illustrated in Fig. 1, the said tongue-element 9 is substantially circular and terminates in a short stem 1,11 which may be defined as constituting an integral part of the rip-strip 7. The tongue element 9 is offset outwardly from the plane of the skirt portion sufficiently to permit finger nails to be inserted behind said tongue element to permitthe latter to be bent outwardly for engagement between iinger tips. .In the instance illustrated, the said tongue element is embossed with a monogram which, besides being ornamental land serving, for example, the purposes of a trade-mark, also serves to provide formations which permit firmer finger tip hold 0n said tongue and thus to render the latter more easily operable to tear out the rip-strip from the cap.

The offset of the tongue element from the body of the skirt portion is, however, apt to cause accidental distortion of said tongue element in the handling of the bottle as in packing and unpacking the same, placing it on adisplay shelf, handing it to al customer, etc. To prevent this, I provide a guard formation 12 which, in the instance illustrated,

consists of an arcuate embossing substantially concentric with the tongue element and terminating at the scorings 8 or stem portion 11 of said tongue element 9. Said formation 12 projects farther from the body of the skirt portion of the cap than the width of the free space between the innerface of said tongue element and the plane of theouter surface of the skirt portion of the cap. Said formation 12'is also ornamental, as will be obvious.

In the screw-cap structure of Figs.4 and 5, the crown portion of the cap 13 is equipped with thread formations 14 to engage similar formationson the bottle neck 15.

The skirt portion 16k of the cap 13 is vprovided with the annular rip-strip 17 immediately below the thread formations 14 and is bordered by the scorings 18 and terminates in the tongue element 19 which is only slight.

ly wider than the rip-strip 17 and is formed with embossed parallel ribs 20 along its side edges. The said tongue, element 19 is also initially offset outwardly from the body of,

the skirt portion 16, similarly to the tongue element 9 of Figs. l, 2, and 3 and for the same purpose. Said tongue element 19 is also severed from the body portion of the skirt 16 by a loop-like incision.

Owing to lack of space around the tongue element 19, the guard formation for performing the function of the formation 12 of Figs. 1, 2, and 3, consists of a boss 21 in the rip-strip 17 adjacent its other end and proximate to the extreme free end vof the tongue element 19.

The formations V12 and 21 function apparently equally well to prevent the said .extremo free end of the tongue element from catching the clothing of persons handling the bottles 'equipped with said caps and thus becoming distorted. y

The present invention affords certain manufacturing advantages in that the tongue element-s are rendered free to be digitally engaged Without requiring any of the metal bordering the same to be removed. This operation, which is effected in other caps with cutting dies, has been lvery troublesome because of the dies becoming dull and causing clogging of the female die. In the instantelement is retained and made a part of the tongue, thus to greatly increase its size with the obvious advantages'incident thereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bottle sealing cap including a substantially cylindrical vskirt portion equipped with an annular rip-strip integral with said skirt Aportion and terminating at one end in a free tongue, andan outwardly projecting guard formation in `said cap contiguous to said tongue for preventing accidental engagement and distortion of the latter in ordinary handling of a bottle equipped with said ca v I2). A bottle sealing cap including a substantially cylindrical skirt portion equipped with an annular rip-strip integral with said skirt portion and terminating at one end in a free tongue, the latter'equipped with outwardly projecting formations affording firm digital engagement with said tongue, and an outwardly projecting guard formation in said cap contiguous to said tongue for preventing accidental engagementand distortion of the latter in ordinary handling of a bottle equipped with said cap.

3. A bottle sealing cap including a substantially cylindrical skirt portion equipped with an annularV rip-strip integral with said skirt portion and terminating at one end in a free tongue, the latter equipped with outwardly projecting formations affording iirm digital engagement with said tongue, the latter being normally outwardly offset from the adjacent portion of the skirt portion of` the cap, and an outwardly projecting guard formation in said cap contiguous to said tongue for preventing accidental engagement and distortion of the latter in ordinary handling of a bottle equipped with said cap.

4. A bottle sealing cap including a substantially cylindrical skirt portion equipped with an annular rip-stripintegral with said skirt portion and terminating at one end in a free tongue of greater width than said rip-strip and bent to smaller radius than said skirt portion, thereby normally offsetting the middle portion of said tongue outwardly from the latter a distance sufficient to permit finger nail insertion behindl said cap, and an outwardly projecting guard formationin said skirt portion contiguous to said tongue for preventing accidental engagement and distortion of the latter in ordinary handling of a bottleequipped with said cap.

5. A bottle sealing cap having asubstantially cylindrical slrt portion adapted to be formed to it annular formations on the bottle-neck to permanently secure said skirt portion to said neck, an annular rip-strip integral with and disposed between the ends of 1 said skirt portion for severing the latter, said rip-strip terminating in a free tongue bent to curvature of smaller radius than said skirt portion for causing said tongue to project outwardly from the said skirt portion suiiciently to permit finger-nail engagement therewith, and an outwardly projecting guard formation in the skirt portion of said cap 15 opposite the free end of the said tongue for preventing accidental distortion of said tongue.

6. A bottle sealing cap having a substantially cylindrical skirt portion adapted to be formed to fit annular formations on the bottle-neck to permanently secure said skirt portion to said neck, an annular rip-strip intel gral with and disposed between the ends of`A said skirt-portion for severing the latter, said rip-strip terminating in a free tongue bordered by an incision of dimensions and contour substantially coinciding with those of the said tongue, the latter bent to curvature of smaller radius than said skirt portion for :zo causing said tongue lto project outwardly from the said skirt portion sufficiently to permit finger-nail engagement therewith, and an outwardly projecting guard formation in the skirt portion of said cap opposite the free end of the said tongue for preventing accidental distortion of said tongue.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of Januar 1931.

' EDWARD H. F BRICE. 

